Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!bionet!kristoff From: kristoff@genbank.bio.net (David Kristofferson) Newsgroups: bionet.general Subject: Re: What/who is bionet Message-ID: Date: 17 Sep 90 17:40:40 GMT References: <26EF7F5C.17114@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca> <11731@pucc.Princeton.EDU> Organization: GenBank Online Service Lines: 41 > Bionet, on the otherhand, has been somewhat more lively, although it > continues to be a vehicle for polite requests for help with (1) using > the network itself, (2) tracking down references, and (3) getting off > subscription lists. Of course, this is a generalization ... Instead of a generalization, I would say that this is a falsehood. Anyone who regularly follows, for example, the METHODS or BIO-SOFTWARE newsgroups will see a lot of useful information exchange going on even though all of the responses are not always posted to everyone. Although some BIOSCI groups are inactive, your characterization of the newsgroups as a "generalization" is unfair. Una, you have approached me about this CONSLINK issue in the past and my response remains the same. Anyone is free to propose a new newgroup by sending a proposal to BIONEWS at any time. We request only that the proposer only have sufficient interest to be prepared to serve as a moderator (in the sense of someone who stimulates discussion ... we do the newsgroup maintenance.). The proposal is then put out to a vote. If it gets 40 votes in 60 days we create the group. In the case of CONSLINK my feeling is that conservation, although a worthy topic, has not attracted a big following in this arena. Our one attempt on BIOSCI in this area, the BIO-CONVERSION newsgroup, has fallen close to the bottom of the list in activity and will be shutdown in the not-too-distant future. Furthermore, the fact that you have not been able to get a discussion going in CONSLINK's other format (a BITNET mailing list if I recall?) does not make me optimistic for its success here either. However, it is not my opinion but the vote of our users which decides these things. If you want to start a CONSLINK newsgroup, send in your proposal along with your agreement to moderate it and we'll put it out to a vote. -- Sincerely, Dave Kristofferson GenBank Manager kristoff@genbank.bio.net